Reviews of Papanack Park Zoo (Zoo)

Ashley Aroz Monette

I keep seeing bad reviews of this place and I'm not sure why. This is a great little zoo, we all enjoyed it very much. They are updating alot of their enclosures and the animals don't looked stressed as some people say. They all have food and water and shade. This is 1 of the best little zoos i have been too. 10/10 recommend take your kids they will love it and so will you!

Natty Olives

I've never seen such an awful zoo. No proper sheds to stay away from heat or cold. One small enclosure the size of my room for three monkeys, another one for three eagles. Small enclosure for lions. No proper food or water available for them. Not even a proper habitat at the bare minimum, no trees, no logs, no ponds, no proper play areas. Not to mention the staff don't have proper or legitimate training, thus the domestication and taming process is barbaric. They also allow for inhumane circus acts and selfie taking with these exotic wild animals.

Ghazala Shaheen

Very nice picnic and zoo place for those who Don't like crowd .small zoo .clean environment .camel ride. And option fot eating n children place too

Samuel Greaves

(Translated) Impeccable customer service upon arrival. I loved seeing the wide variety of exotic animals and the physical proximity to them. I recommend the place! (Original) Service à la clientèle impeccable dès notre arrivée. J'ai adoré voir la grande variété d'animaux exotiques et la proximité physique avec ceux‐ci. Je recommande l'endroit !

Kimberley Erkelens

(Translated) Nice diversity of animals. The employee made us pet a little fox. There was, however, a lot of water on the ground. Impossible to go around without having your feet all soaked. (Original) Belle diversité d'animaux. L'employée nous a fait flatter un petit renard. Il y avait cependant beaucoup d'eau sur le terrain. Impossible de faire le tour sans avoir les pieds tout trempés.

613 B.Green

Loved it great time for the whole family!!

Chris Brydge

Animals look unhappy and some look like their starving.

Dorine Armstrong

Love seeing the Lions and other animals from the road

Yushi games

I didn't like the path in it because you cant push the baby cart

Hamza Alshehadat

The zoo is not that good. I felt nervious because the fences are too short, and I care about my own safety. The zoo is not organized well, and there is a lot of holes. I got injured by one of them. There missing more animals. The zoo need to be renovated

Vincent Boulos

Animals seem very tired and lazy, they are always hiding from the sun and we were not able to see a lot of them, additionally, some cages are empty. Signs of directions don't exist to guide people through the Zoo. The ticket price is expensive if you compare it to what you will be seeing there, it is not worth it unfortunately.

Vincent Boulos

Animals seem very tired and lazy, they are always hiding from the sun and we were not able to see a lot of them, additionally, some cages are empty. Signs of directions don't exist to guide people through the Zoo. The ticket price is expensive if you compare it to what you will be seeing there, it is not worth it unfortunately.

Dave artty

dont buy into the fake reviews...YouTube the zoo to see how they treat the animals yourself

Mo Lab

(Translated) I really like that it is true that some enclosures are old but unlike humans animals do not need luxury. You feel more on the farm than in a zoo. With a little love and encouragement this place is a little paradise. (Original) J ai très aime c est vrai que certain enclos sont vieux mais contrairement à l humain les animaux on pas besoin de luxe. Tu te sens plus à la ferme que dans un zoo .Avec un peu d amour et d encouragement cet endroits est un petit coin paradis.

Demitra Tony

Animal prison zoo. Too small for them and looks week and no movement without food. Unsafe Most important rude customer service Not recommend This zoo should be ban by Ontario

Teny Sarkissian

I cannot thank the staff at the Papanack zoo enough for the amazing day we spent there. The animals are happy and well taken care of. Will definitely go back!

Mohamed Osman

We started touring the zoo and we got approached by two unprofessional ladies (staff) who started yelling and screaming at us because we're feeding the starving animals. They don't feed animals properly, animal cruelty is the biggest concern that we have seen in the zoo. Please provide enough food for these innocent animals who are locked in for other than Making money out of it. Or release them where they belong to.

Amrita Bath

Great variety of exotic animals and birds

Pamela Pilon

It's becoming run down. Not enough staff. Grounds are in rough shape. Definitely not the same zoo as 10 years ago.

Amanda Rocheleau

If I could rate it 0 stars I would. Terrible, Terrible place. The animals are stressed and underweight. The staff are cruel and negligent. Dont give them your money.

Hamzeh A

Not a very exciting zoo

Jenny L'Heureux

(Translated) Beautiful place to go with children at affordable price. The women who cared for the zoo were very welcoming. A redo ???? Great diversity of animals really to see !!!! (Original) Magnifique endroit a aller avec les enfants a prix abordable. Les femmes qui s'occupaient du zoo etaient tres accueillantes. A refaire ???? Grande diversité d'animaux vraiment a voir!!!!

Natasha P

Never again! Animal habitats are not fit for them. And no plumbing? After all these years really? Porta potties were all disgusting! Went there today with the kids...last time. Animals were not at all lively looking...and flamingos have probably the worst habitat out of all. So sad.

Zoe Dee

The workers at this zoo abuse the animals ! Disgusting environment for them. Please Do Not Support this place. Research this and sign a petition against these disgusting animal abusers. There are videos posted and it is unbearable to watch!

Samx (LegendOfSam)

This place abuses animals as it is caught all on tape. Leaked footage gets around, google it and see for yourselves. Something must be done to save these animals!!!

Leah Terrell

This 'zoo' is a disgrace. The living conditions for the animals are horrendous. Extremely small and dilapidated enclosures, dangerous for the animals and humans alike. Animals who naturally live in groups are alone and obviously in distress. It boggles my mind that you're able to feed the animals. I witnessed a woman biting off pieces of carrot and feeding it to the macaques. What if she were to have a contagious illness?? Besides the animals being abused, the playground equipment is a nightmare. My son scratched himself on a sharp edge climbing off a toy helicopter. We used this place as a teaching point about how animals should NOT be treated.

Andranik Massih

Even 19th century Victorians would find this place overly cruel.

Feras Gumgumji

I wish they updated there status in google map or the website!! I went with my family for about 1 hour journey for nothing!! Disappointed ????

DWSeattle

The bathrooms are DISGUSTING, and the employees looked like meth heads.

Mohamed Moustafa

Nice place, although reviews are negative and I know why but over all is better than expected. All negative reviews is about animals that being mistreated, and this is because you will feel that they are lazy and not moving which gives you the impression of clear animal abuse. However this is not what I saw there, the place is small don't expect a fancy place, it's a maximum 90 min tour and you are done.

Chillin Reptilian

If you forget the damn mosquitos feasting on you, it's an interesting place to visit. Not enough cool spots for animals when it's suffocating outside though...I don't feel that the animals are mistreated or not cared for but, yeah it could be better.

Nadine Dessaint

(Translated) Great educational and fun summer camp. Our boy really enjoyed his experience. (Original) Super camp d'été éducatif et amusant. Notre garçon a beaucoup aimé son expérience.

Alex Heros

Shut this thing down asap

Sylvie Longpré

(Translated) member of Vélo Québec as a volunteer for the small adventure Desjardins (Original) membre de vélo québec comme bénévole pour la petite aventure Desjardins

Sarah Moffat

Horrific cruelty has been well documented at this place. Completely outdated form of human entertainment, at the expense of innocent loving creatures.

D.K.

A repugnant place to visit, physically and morally.

Alain Fournier

New owners.....really great place to visit....

Mira Adylbekova

I was not expecting to have a very nice experience but me and my family enjoy our two hr trip to the zoo. They have enough animals to visit. I will be back. They have bear ???? show. Love it.

Frederic Venne

(Translated) In October 2014, the welcome of Kevin and the new owners is extraordinary. Many changes have been made. The contact and the proximity of the animals makes this Zoo unique. Thank you for your welcome. See you at the end of May 2015. (Original) En octobre 2014, l'accueil de Kevin et des nouveaux propriétaires est extraordinaire. Beaucoup de changements ont été apporté. Le contact et la proximité des animaux rend ce Zoo unique. Merci de votre accueil. On se revoit à la fin mai 2015.

King

The animals look sad :( The cages are too small.

Steve Artese

We took the kids to Papanack Zoo two years ago and never again, the animals look like they are suffering, it was a sad day.

Kira Brown

Giving even one star to this place is too many. Animals are not kept with proper care. Greedy owners who only care about money. SHUT THIS PLACE DOWN!!!!!

Meaghan Piccolo

Not an impressive zoo on it's own, rather shabby and small, and I've heard far, far too many bad things about it to be able to excuse it.

Sarah Izzy

Don't support this cruel establishment. Allow these beautiful creatures to finally be free and move to sanctuaries. This zoo doesn't care for the living conditions of these animals. Cages are too small and they are not kept fed well at all.

Kenny Legrow

Absolutely had a horrible and sad experience. Unfortunately the Enclosures for most of the animals were extremely dirty, one cage had dead chicken carcus's decomposing, and many of the animals including the kangaroo were in very tiny, inhumane concrete cages. It was so sad to see so many of these animals pleading with pain in their eyes. Animal rights group needs to go be reported.

Elizabeth Atkins

Do not support this place!!!!

Alain Menard

I asked if I could bring a tripod and they don't allow it. What is wrong with them? Granby zoo lets you use a tripod and flash. Are they afraid of bad publicity? The lady I talked with was not very courteous and was reticent of me doing photography at their zoo. I'll skip that place.

Abby Dawson

Would rate this place 0 stars if I could. You would be selfish to think this place is the slightest bit okay

wendy shaw

Awful

Sheng Liu

I took photos with little lion for $10 and bear for $20. There are lots of fun for kids as well.

Andrew Egan

These animals look not taken care of. This place should be shut down its disgusting and very bad for the animals

Cum_Bender YT

Awful. The cages were too small with no shade and animals looked dehydrated and unfed. Don't support this zoo.

Karen Rideout

Shut this place down and bring these animals to a sanctuary. Shame on all of you! You're a disgusting facility.

Evan Frechette

Terribly run down zoo that is incredibly dangerous with animals escaping cages and not at all fed to their proper diet and habit,some animals are in such small enclosures that their legs barely work any more, I came for a fun zoo experience and ended up saddened and disgusted by the way they keep these poor animals

Rachel J I

Good zoo for young kids, but not many animals to see.

F L

Not well maintained

Gina Matteson

Went today with family and had a terrible time. Snack stand one young girl operating, half the menu wasn't available and guests were lined up, one mom trying very hard to keep her two very young kids occupied while they waited 45 minutes for ONE FRENCH FRY and the drinks. None of the food I ordered was available and so when I ordered something else, the French fries were burnt and tasted gross. I brought to the attention of BROOKE (THE OWNERS DAUGHTER WHO CLEARLY FELT ENTITLED TO TREAT CUSTOMERS LIKE TRASH) Who told me fresh ones would be the same because the grease needed changed. She has so much attitude, and was even causing a scene. I explained to her that many customers, like myself and my family with kids where also in the sand boat just waiting impatiently terrible. she was offended, and raised her voice. I told her that was no way to treat a customer who just paid almost$60 to spend the day. She went on and I left the area. Then I went and talked to the front manager , Cameron who gave me back a measely $2.25 for the fries while Brooke snapped at Cameron and said "if you give her that money she's not getting more fries ". Then I overhead a worker talking to the front manager Cameron complaining about ME!! saying to ignore my reactions and went on. I said I heard that and it's no way to treat a customer. The place wasn't well kept, nothing like it was last year when we had a wonderful day. This time I was being chastised by some kid because her parents own the place and my kids didn't get to eat. I will never go back there to such an unprofessional place!!!! I am a VICE PRESIDENT in my firm and I would never talk to the CEO OR JANITOR the way they treated me. And they left a poor 15 year old girl to deal with all the unhappy customers until BROOKE came to help. Never again. There were many unhappy customers. I was just willing to vocalized my discontent!

Kobayashi Spookike

stop the animal abuse

J Diggs

Shut it down watch the videos out there before visiting. The owners son admits lying to people.

Julian Browne

It's a great place to go have a sight seeing experience loved it

Mustafa B

Zoo was very funny for my son. But staff was rude.

yes, i’m the one who doesnt shut up

Y’all abuse your animals, those cages are itty bitty, you’re stupid if you think a monkey can survive in that. I highly suggest to never visit this place. Ever. Don’t spend money on this garbage of a “zoo.”

Crypto Wave

This is not a zoo this is a prison. Absolutely horrible conditions that the animals are placed in and I had a horrible time feeling very bad for these mentally stressed animals who don't even move. They're so skinny and are just frozen or walking back and forth due to stress and terrible conditions. DO NOT RECOMMEND!!!!

Merle Scott

How can people working with animals be SO CRUEL!!!! This place needs to be shut down for good and the people concerned need to face Justice. Never visit this place!!!!! Had to give them a star just to be able to post!!! Disgusting place.

Afsana Kabir

I have mixed feelings about this place.it has great sorts farm animals like goat, horse etc and wild animals like lion, Serbian tiger, peacocks etc..but the condition of the place would have done wonders. Feel bad for some of the animal space and cage conditions. Hope they improve the place.

Afsana Kabir

I have mixed feelings about this place.it has great sorts farm animals like goat, horse etc and wild animals like lion, Serbian tiger, peacocks etc..but the condition of the place would have done wonders. Feel bad for some of the animal space and cage conditions. Hope they improve the place.

Tattoedted

Could take better care of animals.

Yasir Tanveer

Great entertainment near Ottawa worth price and location

Roland Simon

This is not even a zoo! It's heaven on Earth! Carry and Erin are the greatest zookeepers I have ever seen. I've been to world class zoos in my life but nothing like this before. The animals are happy and the atmosphere is the best of the best. 7 stars.

Mummer Meeks

Animals are lethargic and look extremely depressed. A lot of the animals have lost huge patches of fur and don’t look like they’re being taken care of at all.

VERNON PACK

The new owners of Papanack Zoo have definitely made improvements, but even for a small zoo it is not perfect. It is fun and the animals are definitely as interested in seeing you as you are them, but some of the enclosures are questionable. I have seen animals who are used to living in groups completely alone, cages that are far too small, cages with holes in them, chest with doors wide open and nothing inside. It is not perfect but still fun. I did enjoy it but I probably would not recommend visiting to a friend.

Natasha Oliveira

I've never seen such an awful zoo. No proper sheds to stay away from heat or cold. One small enclosure the size of my room for three monkeys, another one for three eagles. Small enclosure for lions. No proper food or water available for them. Not even a proper habitat at the bare minimum, no trees, no logs, no ponds, no proper play areas. Not to mention the staff don't have proper or legitimate training, thus the domestication and taming process is barbaric. They also allow for inhumane circus acts and selfie taking with these exotic wild animals.

Bilal Elhawz

Ottawa one of the best city in world deserve to have a good zoo

Bilal Elhawz

Ottawa one of the best city in world deserve to have a good zoo

Tobiah McClintock

If I could i would put 0 stars.

Crooked Thom'Ray

Terrible..sad looking

Meena Saad

Well kept!

Felix Bobelix

Nope

Bettering Me

Absolutely appalled at the size and condition of the enclosures. Little to no enrichment and several of the big cats look undernourished. Cannot believe this place is still in business.

MAKENZI DIVELY

ANIMAL CRUELTY! THIS PLACE IS DISGUSTING AND CRUEL TO THE ANIMALS THEY NEED TO BE SHUT DOWN

Jessica Gray

Saw video of animal cruelty at this place on YouTube i will never go back There.

Adriana Garcia

Animals that should not be there I understand if you want to help rescue animals but there is no reason to cage animals who are native to Canada. Small cages, wolves pacing and owls flying into the cages walls to get out. Very sad place.

Emily Labelle

Educational

Tom Tkach

Road side private zoos where animals are exploited for profit are a thing of the past. The recent killing of one of your lions in your care because he escaped his enclosure is shameful.

Curtis Shaw

Real great place . Friendly staff cute animals

John Nicholson

This place is a disgrace, rampant with hypocrisy and should be shut down. There is proliferous evidence available online of mistreated animals. The co-owner, Kerri Brayford, is a misinformed, unprofessional and completely unqualified. Leave animal care to those who actually have the resources and ability to do so.

Mandy Button

If I could, I would give this place 0 stars. I have never seen such inhumane conditions for animals and it deeply upsets me that this is up and running so close to my hometown. These animals look so pitiful in the tiniest enclosures that I wouldn't even put my dog in. The mini horses have a larger space than a bear. Nothing here is up to code and it needs to be shut down. DO NOT SUPPORT THIS POORLY RUN ROADSIDE ESTABLISHMENT.

Mya Brunette

I would give this place 0 stars if that was an option. The cages these animals are put in are way way too small. The cages for the lions are no bigger than an average sized bedroom. It was very dirty, the food that was given to them was mouldy(seen it with my own eyes). Clearly they don’t care of these animals like they should, the cage they are put in are falling apart and the lions if they wanted to can easily jump the fence if they’re standing on their “playground”. These animals just sit in their cage with no shade provided to them at all. They 100% do not look happy in that zoo, they are clearly depressed.

Suzanna Peterson

Do not go! Have you seen the abuse towards the animals! Horrible. Send the poor creatures to a sanctuary and close the place down.

Sylvain Savard

(Translated) Lack of maintenance. Small cage. But many animals so kangouroo. (Original) Manque d entretient .petite cage . Mais plusieurs animeau donc kangouroo.

Erin F

I about 2 years ago but all the animals looked like they were starving. All the enclosures are tiny and the animals look tired and unhappy. The animals should not be living in these conditions.

Usman Iftikhar

Kids love this place

Jessica Webber

I used to go here when i was little

Pratyu Kavuluri

They should've changed the timings or mentioned on the website page that it's closed.

Chris Brunke

Definitely one of my absolute favorite zoo's!

Juliet Martin

Poorly managed

Sarah Sirvin

unbelievable this place is still open. cruel

Véronique Bonneville

I urge you not to go to this zoo. The level of abuse and cruelty displayed is simply heartbreaking. Please, please, please make a difference by choosing not to support this terrible operation.

bidi 1234

It's a very wonderful place and I loved it my family????

Miss Bee

I already think zoos are a cruel place but papanack brings it to a whole nother level. Depriving animals of a nurturing environment. These animals are crammed in poor conditions neglected and as many of have seen the video footage abused. If you love animals visit a sanctuary and stop exploiting them for profit.

Harmandine

(Translated) The animals looked neglected and in poor condition very disappointed I do not recommend (Original) Les animaux avaient lair négliger et en mauvaise état très déçu je ne conseille pas

Candice Summons

lovely experience, I was a little scared of the lions

Karine Lalonde

For a small town zoo, it's in better shape than I thought it would be. We went on their event "boo at the zoo" and the girls totally loved it! They enjoyed the play stuctures and loved the fact that they could dress up even though it wasn't Halloween just yet. They even had face painting today!

Jessica Cardill

The animals are treated horribly and kept in terrible conditions. This zoo should not be allowed to continue operating under the current conditions. Please do not support this zoo. The animals deserve much better!

stu evans

Impresive variety of animals. Professional and passionate staff. Great improvement since the change in management.

Jenna Somerton

Only in it for the money, animals are treated terribly

Dustin J

Great experience with the kids. Greeted by a playful gibbon. Chatted with a parrot. Pet baby lions. Bird of prey, bear and cheeta educational experiences. Fed goats and capybera. Saw wolves, macaques, caribou, bobcats. Animals appear happy, healthy and cared for. Would definitely go back!

Ghazala Shaheen

Very nice picnic and zoo place for those who Don't like crowd .small zoo .clean environment .camel ride. And option fot eating n children place too

Dei!!!

If I could give zero stars I would. The enclosures are disgusting. Theres a giant snake in the smallest terrarium, it can't even move in there. This terra isn't even good for a ball python. I don't understand why this zoo is still a thing Close it down, this is animal abuse

Chamara Dissanayake

Nice place. We enjoyed a lot. Good place for kids. We will visit next year too.

Huzur Sa

Friendly animals and rude humans ????????????

Sydney O'Brien

Shut this zoo down. Animals are kept in small enclosures and mistreated!

Samantha Bisson (Hedgehog969)

(Translated) Very diversified! (Original) Très diversifié!

J DS

Terrible place.Dirty and animals aren't treated well.IT NEEDS TO CLOSE DOWN

Kailee Huffman

Do not send your money to this place or even allow people to go here. Shut this place down. It is sickening that people and places like this exist.

mir st

Visited once because of an art class to do live drawing. It really nice how you can get up close. Though concern for some of the animals for the way they look and there conditions for some the animals. Some of the fur look grungy.

Max Fireman

Lions murderers!

Clement Drouin

OK, so this is a small zoo with a small budget : but that didn't stop my 4 year old son, his friend and myself from enjoying the unique and playful animals we saw. Over the 3 hours we spent there, the squirrel monkeys were our favorites. Though this is a far cry from San Diego, this zoo is the only shot many people of all ages have at seeing unique animals around Ottawa (surprising for a venue this size). Better signage would help visitors navigate around the zoo.

Lisa Cherry

Terrible owners. Horrific treatment of animals. Do not go there. Please shut this place down

michael gazier

a sad place.

Youri Semakov

We occasionally visit that place once in a while for last 20 years and would like to express thanks to staff and management for hard work and compassion for kept animals which many of them otherwise couldn't survive in a wild or being taken from irresponsible owners had the only option to put down. Do you guys know, that many animals were sick, crippled, abused or abandoned before admitted to Papanack? This Zoo (rather say wildlife sanctuary) give animals the second life and the chance to live. Few more months or if lucky few years...who knows. Now for condition of the place. At some point it's not the finest, indeed. But hey people, - they do their best, really! On few dollars we pay to bring kids on occasional weekend to the zoo - what money are you talking about? What should one expect, Disneyland? Do you know how much food needed for large carnivores??? Bears, wolfs, etc. etc. Google up and be surprised. Fences, security, medical, protection staff, that can go on and on. How to keep that thing floating for so many years, - that is something and always puzzled our family. Owners, you should really love that you do, good you have a help of volunteers... Anyway, guys think twice and be prudent before leaving bad reviews for shabby barns, broken fences and smell not to your expectation. Get it right. Make difference between car dealership and animal shelter! There is a hard, tedious, non-stop work behind this zoo and many of us truly respect it. Thanks!

Rena Curren

I’ve always hated this zoo. Even when I was a child I hated going because seeing the animals in such small cages broke my heart. Please do not support zoos, especially this one. Animals are not meant to be kept in small cramped cages. It’s not good for them mentally or physically! Also don’t forget to check out the video on YouTube that shows the abuse that goes on. ????

Davide Spinello

Animals are kept in horrible conditions inside small cages. Social primates confined in small enclosures, often alone. Wolves in fenced perimeters without shade, and even groundhogs in insultingly small cages. It should be shut down.

Claudia Brouillette

(Translated) Nice place, but the animals seem in bad condition sometimes to be neglected, the cages are small and the wood which serves as a barrier to the public is damaged and not very solid. The animals appeared hungry / thirsty and fearful. The chemical toilets are well maintained and the cabana furnished with changing table is very appreciated for families with young children. The paths are generally on the ground and in rainy weather, the whole becomes very "muddy". The staff were very friendly and cheerful, but not very present on site. (Original) Bel endroit, mais les animaux semblent en mauvais état parfois voir négligés, les cages sont petites et le bois qui sert de barrière au public est abîmé et peu solide. Les animaux semblaient affamés/assoiffés et étaient craintifs. Les toilettes chimiques sont bien entretenues et le cabanon aménagé avec table à langer est très apprécié pour les familles avec jeunes enfants. Les chemins sont généralement en terre et par temps pluvieux, le tout devient très "bouetteux". Le personnel était très sympathique et souriant, mais peu présent sur place.

Tino Ma

It does not seem that the animals are under a bad condition. Some of those animals are rescued from other places and then kept here. The staffs here are kind and friendly, the animals here are well treated. I had fun and enjoyed my time and will introduce my friends to come. All the best

Mary S.

Went to the zoo over the weekend. I would not recommend the place. It is your typical road side zoo and the animals were not taken care of properly

Spen

Abuse and small enclosures. Google "papanack zoo abuse". It's a difficult watch, because it's real, not a movie.

BRIGUY LIVETORIDE

Many of their animals are rescues that would have been put down when their prior facilities were closed..

Patricia S

(Translated) We are very happy we went to visit the zoo despite the many negative comments. The animals appear to be in good health. They are not afraid to approach the fences which allows them to appreciate them more closely. The employees are courteous and passionate. We were treated to a nice presentation with a kodiak bear and cheetahs. Frankly, we loved it! Only downside, some cages are small, but I dare believe it is temporary (animals in recovery). Other than that, it was a very beautiful day. I recommend it! (Original) Nous sommes très heureuses d'être allés visiter le zoo malgré les nombreux commentaires négatifs. Les animaux semblent en bonne santé. Ils n'ont pas peur de s'approcher des clôtures ce qui permet de les apprécier de plus près. Les employés sont courtois et passionnés. On a eu droit à une belle présentation avec un ours kodiak et les guépards. Franchement, on a adoré! Seul bémol, certaines cages sont petites, mais j'ose croire que c'est temporaire (animaux en rétablissement). À part de ça, c'était une très belle journée. Je le conseille!

Jerome Lavoie

(Translated) If you like to see animals suffering go there. You will be served ... (Original) Si tu aimes voir des animaux souffrir va là. Tu vas être servi...

julie duchesne

(Translated) Lots of animals it was great (Original) Beaucoup d'animaux c'était super

Melanie Kajfasz

(Translated) The animals do not look good. I do not understand how we can accept that this kind of place is always active. It is time for an inspection to be made because I doubt that these animals are well treated. I do not recommend going there. Do not encourage this place! (Original) Les animaux n'ont pas l'air bien. Je ne comprends pas comment on peut accepter que ce genre d'endroit soit toujours actif. Il est temps qu'une inspection se fasse parce que je doute que ces animaux soient bien traités. Je ne recommande pas d'y mettre les pieds. N'encouragez pas cet endroit !

Nicoleta Stoian

Animal cruelty.

Severine Laderoute (Aloha Vibes)

(Translated) I greatly encourage you not to visit the zoo, a place where animals are extremely poorly treated, beaten and in winter locked in extra mini cages (lots of evidence and testimonies seen and heard) There is more more ethical zoo to visit beautiful exotic animals but at papanack you give your money to perverse-cruel owner. And you dear owner, I wish karma takes good care of you! (Original) Je vous encourage grandement de ne pas aller visiter se zoo, un endroit où les animaux sont extrêmement mal traités , battue et l’hiver enfermer dans des extra mini cage (beaucoup de preuve et de témoignages vue et entendue) Il y a d’autre zoo plus éthique pour visiter de beaux animaux exotiques mais chez papanack vous donner votre argent à de pervers-cruel propriétaire. Et vous cher proprio je souhaite que le karma s’occupe bien de vous !

Daniel Eames

I hoped for a nice day out with the family, even the kids questioned some of the enclosures.

N0T Ryan

good animals

Jeffrey Fennelly

I just visited the Zoo with my special needs son. The staff there was fully understanding and very welcoming. They were quite proactive in offering any assistance. He really enjoyed his experience.

Dallas Tea

New owners suck. Animal prisons are boring. Go away with the Bowmanville Zoo. Get a life.

nithi neeth

A nice place to spend with kids especially toddlers will love the place .

nithi neeth

A nice place to spend with kids especially toddlers will love the place .

Wayne Cassell

Cute lil spot to spend some time

chris Audi1

I've visit the zoo on 2011 and it was a clean place, animal was looking good with a lot of variety .... but today I came back with some friend and it was terrible.. animal look starving, and there is no fresh water, and the place look rundown, the grass is not maintained inside or outside the cage. even 2 goat escape from the cage

Aslan Sarkissian

What an amazing place, great staff helpful and caring, the love they have for these animals are second to non. What an experience defiantly will visit again, I recon and it whole heartedly.

Jesse Houle

The staff seemed friendly, but the place is definitely in need of some TLC. My main concern was some of the animals didn't look healthy and you could tell that they were living in bad living conditions. I can't support a zoo like this again.

Kozlowskii1

I was just there. I regret going. I regret giving them 20$ to see animals living in the smallest cages i ever seen. They do not look happy. The place is not adapted for them or for us. There is so much mud that you can't even walk. The only good thing i can say is that my daughter is so young that she will not remember this zoo nor will she remember that we encourage a place like this. Its sad. I won't never go back until it will have MAJOR changes. Reorganise the place, reedo the cages. Give animals more space and cages that reponds to their needs. And a better access to ys going there. Money need to be invested asap.

Kathiresan Sivam

Worth for the money.. Lot of wild animals.. Cheetahs, lions, cougars, tigers, bears etc.. It looks like small zoo from outside but it is vast. The directions are not marked so we might miss seeing all animals if we are not carefully following the path..

Hisham Obeidat

We were very surprised about the zoo by how amazing it is and it is a huge park. There were many kids of animals. Adult and kids will enjoy to visit this Zoo. I am shocked of the poor rating by the people who wrote the review. To be honest, …

Hisham Obeidat

We were very surprised about the zoo by how amazing it is and it is a huge park. There were many kids of animals. Adult and kids will enjoy to visit this Zoo. I am shocked of the poor rating by the people who wrote the review. To be honest, …

Kyle M

This is my absolute favourite zoo to visit. I think they do an excellent job of allowing the animals to lead healthy, comfortable lives while still allowing visitors to have a meaningful experience. The staff genuinely care about the welfare and happiness of the animals, and it shows.

Alicia Gillespie

The staff are very friendly and seem to really care for the animals. Some of the bridges and paths could be maintained better as they are not very wheelchair or stroller friendly.

n fik

This place is a dump. Do not take to suggestions well at all. Terrible customer service. When you criticize them I'm their facebook page they delete it. (Publicly making a post declaring that they will even!) After the recent killing of one of their lions they publicly announced they would delete all criticism. Wow. Professional. Will not be returning

Adrian Bruno

**** this place, the owners are scum. If you support these people you are not far off.

Mike Mc

Best place to get up close and personal with lions, tigers and bears. Oh my! Friendly staff that have a great relationship with Wolves, lions and cougars. Best zoo for the price by far!!

Mason Kufahl

How the hell is this still open. The owners have repeatedly been caught abusing the animals to death. Watch videos on YouTube of this place. Educate yourselves before taking a trip to places like this. Go to an accredited zoo, not a roadside zoo. Will be reporting this place to the CFIA.

Eric Macarthur

Terrible trip and experience at the zoo. Save your money, trip and the hassle!

john bessey

Animals are in distress. Restless. Malnourished and crying out for escape. The cages are in poor upkeep for the animals proper health and wellbeing. Person who answered the call about animals conditions was flighty and rude and questioned me about my ability to know if an animal is in distress. #CloseDownPoopanackAnimalJail

Nicola Gissi

The animals are all very clean.

Chantal Larocque

It's a beautiful place to take the kids. We really enjoyed the time we spent at the zoo. The kids enjoyed the play parks also. The food is a decent price so are the plush toys. I would suggest bringing bottled water as the park is big and long to walk. The staff were really friendly and kind.

Janick Shank

The staff who were there, which is very little from what we could see, we’re really friendly. Can’t take that away. The animals were fun to see and very cute. But it pained me to see such dirt and smelly cages, and pretty much a run down place. Looked almost abandoned. The lions looked extremely thin and the play structures looked old and dirty. I didn’t want my daughter playing on them. The bathrooms were clean. It needs a lot of work and money. It has potential but all I could think of leaving was that sad flamingo in a dirty kiddie pool that sounded like he was crying. I just wanted to give her or her a hug…

Kaleb Hawk

employees care about the animals and try there best to do what they can . yes the enclosures are a little small for some animals and some maintenance is needed and yes i can understand the 1 star reviews but those people have to take in consideration that it is not cheap to run a zoo and they cannot improve anything with no money its not the zoos fault at all , i personally watched the lions and bears have there water changed the animals have a very healthy and happy relationship with the workers . if you dont like what you see then instead of complaining and leaving bad reviews and protesting outside , try helping out by donating money for new enclosures and doing things that help like bringing more customers so the zoo can generate money to improve things . again its not on the zoo or the workers .

Richard Rehder

The Place is run down and stinks of animal feces. Don't waste you money go to Valley View Farm instead cheaper and much better deal for your money

Ryan Adelson

Reading the barrage of negative reviews I was a little weary at first. After visiting the park I've come to my own conclusion that this place is run well. The animals are happy, and for the most part quite sociable which says a lot about the care they receive. It's sad that this place isn't super busy. It's super close to Ottawa, 25 minutes east of trim just off the 17. Staff is great, animals are in good shape as well. My only critique of the place is that some of the wolves seemed a bit hot. Honestly, I'd pass over the negative reviews and focus in on the more positive ones.

jessie letourneau

Did not like to see the size of the cages... nore did I find it clean and they don't cut the grass much... I find this place lacks alot... i personnal don't recommend it.

Alex Chung

I looked at the reviews and decided to not listen to the negative people. Took the chance and had the best day ever with my family! We checked out all the exhibits and even went back to the ones we liked best. We also had a chance to talk to the staff and owners. WoW. Great people. Like all zoo s we have ever been to, some animals paced a little but that's what it is... what a great place to see animals we would never be able to see otherwise. We got to walk a baby wolf named Loki, get in a cage with a bunch of lemurs and pet some lions! What a day. Will do avian real soon! Highly recommend !

Karine Gagnon

I read the comments and needed to see it for myself and happy I did. People who complained that the animals looks sad... I didn't find that. They were all well feed. We loved it. The staffs are extremely friendly and they explained a lot about each animals and you can pet some .... it's very nice and my kids truly enjoyed it. They got so many animals! Its a nice family day to have and we will come back definitely. Was a great, fun and amazing experience and the people who complains about the mud .... pffff really if its your main problems... well get out of the comfort of your home more often... there is worst than mud ! And the ones about the loose goats.... really???? We found that pretty cool and there is tons of zoo that lets goats free .... sooo don't listen to all te bad comments it's a very fun place to be

Yevgeniy Kozlov

It's small and just a bit in disrepair but stuff is nice animals are cool and it's just close enough for a nice day trip.

Explo Media

Went with the kids and we absolutely loved it!

TAMSIN HENNEBERRY

This place is terrible. The enclosures are too close together, the animals look like they're starving to death, how is this legal?! These idiots are abusing the animals. If they're closed for the winter, do the animals have enough to eat? I went here once before with my family expecting a fun time, We practically were done in the zoo in under half an hour. The Zoo is so small that the animals barley even get enough space. They all looked miserable. NEVER GO HERE! If you watch their video you will understand that this Zoo doesn't provide good care and a sufficient amount of space. Poor animals.

Darina Shama Guerrier

Amazing and fun experiences at the Zoo. Really recommend for the VIP pack for more one on one interaction with the animals and the zookeepers

Krista Montgomery

Animals are poorly taken care of ...they need water ...will never go back ..waist of money and sad to see animal abuse ☹

Arlene Maple

Hands down the best zoo I have ever been to. Extremely caring and knowledgeable staff. The animals were in such a good mood when we went with our group, making this experience very entertaining. You can tell they are well taken care of because they get excited when they see the owners and employees! Definitely bringing more people here!!

PY M

(Translated) Small zoo, 1 to 2 hours to see everything (Original) Petit zoo, de 1à 2 heures pour tout voir

Matthew Clementoni

This place had more animals than any zoo in Quebec or Ontario . A must visit for the whole family.

Sylvie Lachance

This zoo is located in Windover,Ontario off St Laurent street in witch has also a campsite. (At end of the street)where my brother Mario Lachance lives(2999St Laurent Street.

Michel Matte

(Translated) Lots of animals very nice site and very well maintained very courteous and superb employee of good price I highly recommend it for children (Original) Beaucoup d'animaux très beau site et très bien entretenu employé très courtois et superbe de bon prix je le recommande fortement pour les enfants

Lucy von bormann

This place has cruel practices. Dont go here.

Afsha n Istvan Peter Gutsik

Poorly kept cages, most animals are old and limping or appear lifeless. Very sad. Admission price too $$$. Definitely not going back.

Neon Almond

Animal Abusers

Isabelle Zon Miltioux

(Translated) This place is horrible! ????????No respect for the well-being of its animals who are abused and neglected. Their pens are too small, messy and fall into ruin. The animals are either too numerous for the size of their homes or completely left alone, isolated, when we know very well that they are made to live in a group. Many have no shelter, they are in full sun and do not have enough water. These unfortunate beings need help and should all benefit from relocation to caring and healthy places. (Original) Cet endroit est horrible! ????????Aucun respect pour le bien-être de ses animaux qui y sont maltraités et négligés. Leurs enclos sont trop petits, malpropres et tombent en ruine. Les animaux sont soit trop nombreux pour la grandeur de leurs demeures ou complètement laissés seuls, isolés, lorsqu'on sait très bien qu'ils sont fait pour vivre en groupe. Plusieurs n'ont pas d'abris, ils sont en plein soleil et n'ont pas assez d'eau. Ces malheureux êtres ont besoin d'aide et devraient tous bénéficier d'une relocalisation vers des endroits bienveillants et sains.

dave_bed

Most people don't understand that there are new owners, this place is nothing like it used to be. The animals are well fed, have plenty of space. I would like to see a bit more shade space during hot summer days for some of the animals as well as slightly cleaner water but otherwise great, would recommend for families and couples. They also have some snacks as well as a gift shop. Price is about 20$ a head for adults.

Space Spear

TERRIBLE ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE , I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU HURT ANIMALS

patrick nepton

Lil small but for the price its all good 4 star outta 5 because it was a lil rough...

Danny SETCOM

The articles about abuse and reports all over are more then enough to shut this place down..

Teresa Morgan

Terrible

kahy Liaana

(Translated) This zoo lacks maintenance ... Interesting animals, nice staff but rates are excessive for quality. (Original) Ce zoo manque d'entretien... Les animaux intéressants, le personnel agréable mais les tarifs sont excessifs pour la qualité.

Marie-Ève Lévesque

Make sure Not to call about Opening hours Or about best timeTo be at the zoo...The lady answering the phone is the rudest person ever

Luke Dippold

Just look this place up on YouTube. Owners should be in jail for animal cruelty.

Johanne Lefebvre

Nice local zoo but needs some upkeep.

Thunderbolt404

They need to take better care of their animals it's just heart braking

Carly Kieffer

Would give it 0 stars if that were possible. These animals are not properly cared for at ALL. absolutely disgusting place.

Lea Austin

No shade at all for the most part , not maintain well no benches for ppl to sit along the way . Poor animals living in such small cages no bathrooms ... will not be going back !

Mathieu Martineau

(Translated) Lots of animals and fun for the little ones, very close to Ottawa / Gatineau. (Original) Beaucoup d'animaux et du plaisir pour les petits, tout près d'Ottawa/Gatineau.

Nicole Nikolajuk

Goats were running everywhere

Irina Novoselova

Amazing place! I highly recommend this zoo!

Naj Da Maj

Everyone rating 1 star is basically the type of person who anounces they are vegan to every single person they meet even tho no one cares. Animals are well fed and well treated and most of them are rescues so find something else to do and stop shutting down zoo's. Thanks.

Veronique Belanger

The zoo seems to need a bit more maintenance but has great potential, when we visited it seemed like some employees or the owners had also brought their friends along, and it took a little while before we even greeted and able to pay to get in which was a little frustrating. The enclosures are fairly basic and allowed us to actually see most of the animals which was nice but there was barely any cover available when it started raining, besides the gift shop which is fairly packed already.

Jotsadak Kennedy

(Translated) On this site I made one of my childhood dreams come true. To talk about the place, there is nothing to say! It’s just flawless. From the jovial welcome and warmth on the part of haute, to the upkeep of the site; everything is perfectly well done! The guides are super nice, flexible, and attentive to the smallest detail. We feel good in their company because indeed they do not hesitate to adapt to any type of situation. We go out there educated on animal behavior, while having a good nutrition session with most of the animals on site. One of my best moments was meeting the King of the Jungle! The Lion King! It was just wonderful !! This is one of the best places I have had to visit so far! (Original) Sur ce site j’ai réalisé l’un de mes rêves d’enfances. Pour parler du lieu, il y a rien à dire! C’est tout simplement impeccable. Partant de l’accueil jovial et chaleur de la part de haute, jusqu’à l’entretien du site; tout est parfaitement bien fait! Les guides sont super gentils, flexibles, et attentionnés sur le moindre détail. On se sens bien en leur compagnie car en effet ils n’hésitent pas à s’adapter à tout type de situations. On y sort instruit sur le comportement des animaux, tout en ayant passer une bonne session de nutrition avec la plus part des animaux sur place. L’un de mes meilleurs moment a été la rencontre avec le roi de la jungle! Le roi lion! C’était juste merveilleux!! Cet endroit et parmi le meilleur que j’ai eu a visiter jusqu’à présent!

Canadian Roxee

Animals are stressed out, definitely not appropriate enclosure sizes for proper activity levels needed, overpriced and just heartbreaking. Please do not support this type of zoo, they do not have the animals' well being in mind and it's so easy to see that. I have no idea why this place hasn't been shut down. How this type of zoo is legal is beyond me!! I don't even want to know how the animals that cannot handle winter are housed during the colder seasons. Please do not visit or refer anyone to go there.

Abby Dawson

Would rate this place 0 stars if I could. You would be selfish to think this place is the slightest bit okay

Aslan H Sarkissian

Great place clean, great caring knowledgeable staff with great compassion and love towards these animals and you can see these animals give back that love ten folds. These so called animal right groups who are creating multiple accounts and putting negative comments have no clue about conservation nor how to protect endangered species. Some of these animals are on the endangered species list and the only way to protect them is conservation like Papanack Zoo and similar others.

Josh

Animal cruelty open and shut.

Narvin Debidin

Very sad..... farm animals seem to be ok but exotic animals clearly should not be there.

Marc Ménard

(Translated) A place to spend, a nice day (Original) Un endroit pour passer,une belle journée

Paige Bolton

Driving up, I was a little nervous at the Size thinking there wasn’t much there. But, I was pleasantly surprised! The place just keeps going, and honestly the lay out and being able to discover new areas was half the fun! The bucket of food given to us at the front gate is such a great idea! Offered an interactive experience with some of the animals. One of my favourite things was seeing how happy the animals were when they saw the workers coming, and how friendly and informative the staff were. The staff really went above and beyond to make sure we had the best experience we could while we were there. Can’t wait to come back again ????

Donus P

A rural zoo that brings in rescued animals, and are still open, must be a good thing. We should all support this small rural zoo, it will only get better. That means for the animals too. I like the selection for not being a big city big funded zoo. We need to support this as much as we can. I personally like it.

Jean-Sebastien Payant

Very friendly zoo keepers!

Marie-Pier Renaud

(Translated) Nice place! Small but still good. On the other hand, I find that some cages for animals are really small. I loved being able to touch a little monkey ???? (Original) Bel endroit! Petit mais quand même bien. Par contre, je trouve que certaines cages pour les animaux sont vraiment petites. J'ai adoré pouvoir toucher à un petit singe ????

Zeinab Issa

Loved it and the kids really enjoyed seeing the animals!! Definetely recommend it!

kayleigh lord

Amazing place staff is nice animals are right next to you really cool and it's not expensive

me me

Their treatment of animals is cruel

Emilio Borisov

Amazing experience for our toddler, she absolutely loved it.

Ann V

gross and awful. never going

Unknown Adventures

terrible animal abuse

Lea Austin

No shade at all for the most part , not maintain well no benches for ppl to sit along the way . Poor animals living in such small cages no bathrooms ... will not be going back !

Samozy Fun

animal abusers

Adam Saint

This is a fun park/zoo really those who say the zoo is not taking care of animals... well I didn't see any issues while I was there. Animals all looked appropriately cared for and happy. Given this is a zoo sort of out in the middle of nowhere I think they are doing great, lots of interesting animals from around the world. Lions, bears, lynx, goats, sheep, bald eagle, horses, just tons and tons of stuff.. much more than I expected. This is a great way to see some of the neat animals in nature, up close and personal. Don't read into those in these comments that say the animals are being mistreated.. some people wouldn't be happy unless the animal wasn't in any zoo... some people need to focus on other things

Emily Ann

Was an awesome experience but I wasn’t very fond of the birds being locked in such small enclosures.

Alldone First

Disgusting place, needs to be shut down

Alicia Holmes

It is so fun, and I took the camp, every animal loved the zookeepers, I think the new owners are better than the old ones!

Fabiola Ribeyre

Worst zoo I've ever been too... Very very disappointing!! Animals are not well treated, enclosure are way to small and durty... some enclosure did not even have water access. It's such a shame to see this in 2020.. I do not recommend

Leyla Rodriguez -Lecky

I just finished watching the animal cruelty video. It sadness me as I didn't know about it before going this summer. Covid Issues: I couldnt find any hand sanitizer, the porta potties were disgusting. The mask inside the front walk in area was not made mandatory ( owner wore no mask). Other Issues: The owner was smoking ciggerettes beside the baby wolves. They were kept in small cages and when I asked if they stay thier all night the owner snapped at me. I had a bad vibe once I left and have been thinking about the place for a while now and decided to google it. Super disturbing video of the owners son hurting the animals as well as the owner laughing at things in the video as well. Just saddened that I supported this place by paying admission and wish I would have known before hand so that I could have made the decision to stay home instead.

Ahmad Hassan

Nice park to visit, not far from Ottawa. They have some event during the day like feeding the bears and lion. Kids loved it. Also small places to set and relax. Recommended

Nick Petkoglou

I have had the Privilege to tour this facility during the off season on 2 occasions with owners & staff. Reading some of the negative comments has me confused. Especially coming from people that admit they have Never even been through the gates? I took part in feeding and interacting with some of the animals whom are very Social & Happy I might add. People that have an issue with an admission fee to see the animals should consider the costs of proper Nourishment & Medical needs of the animals. On my last visit(2020) there was a Ton of work being done to make the environment pleasant for both the animals and visitors alike. The New Owners have had possession for only 4yrs & as we all know... Rome was Not built in 1 day. The Bayford family puts the animals well being on the Top of the Priorities List which I have personally Witnessed. Anyone Wishing to Protect animals should put their Money where their Mouth is and Fund efforts against Poaching of Endangered Species around the Globe. Keep Up the Great Work Kerri, Kurt & Staff. I'll be back to visit Soon

aslan sarkissian

Wow what a place, little family run zoo, owners as well staff are amazing, we saw animals touched them carry little ones. It is not your average zoo but being a small one and private is a better experience. Saw families with children having great time But most of all our group had a great time non of us have any complaintes. ????????????????????????????????????????

Hannah Dowber

I highly recommend visiting this zoo! The staff were incredibly helpful and kind! The animals were very friendly and well taken care of! What a wonderful experience to see animals up close! Also family friendly and affordable!

Jamie Mathurin

SHUT THIS PLACE DOWN NOW

Matt S

Despite seeing all the accusations about animal cruelty in this zoo, as an animal lover i can say that this is definitely a nice zoo and i will explain. All the accusations of animal creulty goes either to the son of the owner due to his behavior or the size of the cages and since i went there i can say i have rarely seen him and you can see that they are trying to get better. How are they supposed to keep the animals fed and maintained without the funding of admission. During my visit despite them probably not making any profit they still pledged to donate money to animal organizations. The tigers might have seemed bored but when one of the staff was there he ran all the way across his cage a excited to see her. And that goes to my conclusion that if they don't get enough funding they will never be able to provide a better home and i hope they can see this a wake up call to get this fixed. You can tell that they had some budget cuts but not to anything related to the animals but instead to their food trucks and such. I hope this does not turn to another bowmanville zoo.

Ashley Knapp

We drove by this place last week to visit a wedding venue nearby and both my mum and I commented on how sad, dirty, and small this place looked. Wanted to cry for those animals in there.

Courtney Lowe

The owner is lovely and it's a great spot for the kids definitely suggest taking a visit there!

Chris Desjardins

I'm not against zoos for the purposes of animal conservation, but the tiny cages and clearly mistreated and underfed animals at this place is horrifying. An animal that is continually pacing back and forth is showing signs of extreme stress, and that was a very common occurrence at this nightmare of an institution. Shut. It. Down.

Catherine

Terrible place. If the owners really cared for the well being of the animals they would build better enclosures for all the animals. The enclosures are way too small. Also these larger animals like the bears and big cats should be surrendered to sanctuaries that are set up to to properly care for them. Shame on the owners! Please do the right thing and let another rescue place help the bears and big cats. If you cannot provide the proper care please surrender them. Or at least look at ethical zoos like the Toronto Zoo who properly care for their animals and set your goals to their standards. The animals will thank you. It's never too late to make a difference.

Mitch Rosko

My family and I enjoyed this place. The staff is friendly. The animals seem well taken care of. You can feed many of the animals. They also have demonstrations with different animals every half hour or so.

Rebecca Trapp

I hate this zoo they killed a poor lion when they should have been prepared to use a tranulizer buy instead they killed him these people don't care for them and I am so against killing animals that's a terrible thing to do the cages are terrible they barley get fed don't have very clean water and its a very poor run down zoo and I want them shut down ASAP so we can save these animals and make a better living situation and so they can live long healthy and happy lives.... SHUT THE ZOO DOWN!!!! ASAP

Jancy Rani

Living conditions of animals is so poor. They have very little space to move and the entire place looks so run down.

Jaimie Hill

Do not be fooled by the fake reviews. These animals are abused!!

Danny Giroux

I've lived relatively close to here while growing up in Ottawa, then moved away 8 years ago to London. While visiting family with our 2 year old, we visited the Papanack Park Zoo and boy am I glad that we did! The lady at the store counter was super friendly, greeted us warmly and introduced us to the little ones. Then we were directed and told about the many enclosures, provided times where keepers had fun educational times to tell the many kids visiting about their many animals. We were able to interact and hold month old wolf puppies, so our timing couldn't have been better. I can go on and on about the many animals living happily here, however there are lots of treasures that need to be discovered on your own. Special shout out to their local celebrity bear Bonkers and his family of bears. He had such good manners pulling many tricks for us, including playing soccer, waving, lunging on his favorite chair etc.

Grant McLean

Awesome place to get close to nature. Animals are taken care off and they offer times to give you information.

Karissa Villeneuve

My son went to the zoo and the animals look like they're being neglected not treated properly the animal crates aren't cleaned the food is rotten in the bowls there's no water in any of their crates! The animals are not getting enough food enough shelter cuz of the heat or enough water ! MY SON SAID THIS WITH HIS OWN WORDS GRANDMAMMA the animals look very Sad and not unhappy for 11 year to say that is something!Crush my heart! I know this is a hard time right now but there are ways out of this there are resources for these animals to have a happy life!!

Juzer Hussain

We enjoyed our Saturday night Safari.

Karl Dore

(Translated) It was my first experience with my 4 year old daughter. For its part, it was paradise. She saw a wide variety of animals and was very happy. She really enjoyed her visit since at 4 years old, she had no idea how to treat the animals or how to maintain the facilities. She loves animals and has seen a fair amount of them. Personally, I am by no means a veterinarian or a zoologist, so I cannot comment on the treatment of animals, nor on their well-being. By cons, I can easily comment on the facilities. They are crumbling and obsolete and they require major investments. I felt like I was in an abandoned ghost zoo for many years. A bit like in an episode of Scooby-doo or an old horror film from series b. Are the animals happy? I do not know, but I had great pity for the state of their enclosures. After rain, wear boots ... the trails are muddy and bumpy. At least the fairly high cost of entry for this type of facility may allow the purchase of animal feed ... hopefully. In short, my 4 year old daughter loved it. For my part, I maintained a lot of pity for the inventory and for my ambivalence on the well-being of small and large animals. I don't want to tell you not to go there since my contribution probably helped to feed these animals ... (Original) C'était ma première expérience avec ma fille de 4 ans. Pour sa part, c'était le paradis. Elle a vu une grande variété d'animaux et elle était très heureuse. Elle a vraiment aimé sa visite puisqu'à 4 ans, elle n'a aucune idée du traitement des animaux ni de l'entretien des installations. Elle aime les animaux et elle en a vu une bonne quantité. Pour ma part, je ne suis nullement vétérinaire ni zoologiste, alors je ne peux pas me prononcer sur le traitement des animaux, ni sur leur bien être. Par contre, je peux aisément me prononcer sur les installations. Elles sont croulantes et désuètes et elles nécessitent des investissements majeurs. J'avais l'impression d'être dans un zoo fantôme délaissé depuis de nombreuses années. Un peu comme dans un épisode de Scooby-doo ou un vieux film d'horreur de série b. Est-ce que les animaux sont heureux? Je ne sais pas, mais j'avais beaucoup de pitié pour l'état de leurs enclos. Après des épisodes de pluies, porter des bottes... les sentiers sont boueux et cahoteux. Au moins, le coût d'entrée assez élevé pour ce type d'installations peut permettre l'achat de nourriture pour les animaux...je l'espère ardemment. Bref, ma fille de 4 ans a adoré. Pour ma part, j'ai entretenu beaucoup de pitié pour l'état des lieux et pour mon ambivalence sur le bien-être des petites et grosses bêtes. Je ne veux pas vous dire de ne pas y aller puisque ma contribution a probablement aidé à nourrir ces animaux...

Tobiah McClintock

If I could i would put 0 stars.

Rox anne

(Translated) Good place Everyone is nice very beautiful place (Original) Good place Tout le monde est gentil très belle place

jess Williams

Was alright. They have some really nice animals, and some animals we couldn't see because of there being so much growth. Nice little zoo though, and new owners. The staff were nice, and helpful. Was fun feeding the animals.

Ottawa Cosplay

A lot of the fencing looked old and rotten but the animals are I think happy. No staff walking around when we went, a goat was roaming free don't know if it was let out or jumped the short fence. Staff need to keep a better eye on the people , one guy with his son were throwing apples at the kangaroos . A lot of weeds growing on the bottom of the cages but maybe the animals like that ... either way the only thing I would change they need more staff walking around .

David Tremblay

I heard and read different things or comments about this place. When you drive in the parking lot, the first thing that came up in my mind was "what the heck" but things get better as the visit progressed. We liked our visit, the animals look happy and well taking care of. The most important, we can easily see all the animals and fairly closed. Cages are definitely looking old, made out wood, things you don't see elsewhere. Especially at the tigers cage on the right side of the site, makes you wandering if this is strong enough. The place is walkable but still a long walk for elderly. Kids loved it.

uhsnail

There is proof of the animal abuse and animals being in spaces that are way too small! Its insane that people do this to animals. I request peoole shut this place down and give the animals to sanctuaries. What did Gods animals do to you?

Allison Smith

Obvious animal cruelty is going on here.

YZ Shi

It's a miserable experience for both the visitors and the animals

Solange Hargrove

Honestly I don’t know why people are complaining I get it seems bad but at least they try. They obviously see all these comments and know it should improve and will with time and effort. We can’t expect changes in an instant there’s a lot of money and time involved in these things and everyone is entitled to there opinions. I’ve been there several times and it’s been the same fun experience everytime even if the cages were broken or there was mud everywhere and they have porta potties. It’s a zoo in the middle nowhere surrounded by trees and couple houses it won’t be super fancy like other zoos. I just think people shouldn’t be complaining so much about the conditions it’s nature it’s outdoor. People these days are just so absorbed in there phones and critisize everything it’s unreal.

Papanack Park Zoo

Loved the New zoo..

Caro Morin

Go ahead and search "animal abuse at papanack". Zero stars. This place is obviously horrible and no one should visit. Anyone considering visiting this sad excuse for "entertainment" should evalute exactly why there is such a low rating.

marianne charbonneau

ramshackle buildings, sad animals, my heart breaks for them. what do they do all winter when it's closed?

christopher pritchard

Can't believe a place like this can stay open, all the evidence of cruelty going on here should've closed this place a white ago.

Elle MD

There is a reason so many people are desperately trying to get this so-called zoo closed. If you want to support animal abuse and help the family that owns it to "smash him across the face 5 times as hard as I could" to 'tame' their animals then bring the whole family.

Shaun Ryan Savard

Friendly people, animals were great!

John Bruce

Opportunity to get up close with some big beautiful predators. Got my picture taken with Thumper the big Kodiak. Big bear!

Heather Cancilla

The animals were fun to watch and feed! They look well taken care of. Staff was very friendly. The paths go in all different directions, it is not one path that you follow there are many of them! A good time was had there! Good price!

Melanie Caron

(Translated) It was interesting (Original) C'était intéressant

Kayla Bush

Watch the YouTube video!!! ????

Mari L

(Translated) Worst zoo, the animals seem dead and poorly maintained. They seem sad. There is no drinking water and only 2 chemical toilets so when there are several people it is not pleasant (Original) Pire zoo, les animaux semblent morts et peu entretenu. Ils semblent tristes. Il n'y a pas d'eau potable et seulement que 2 toilettes chimiques donc, lorsqu'il y a plusieurs personnes ce n'est pas agréable

Thomas Outdoor Construction

Id be curious to know how many of the people with issues here have recently been into the zoo as patrons and had the opportunity to talk with the caretakers that work there. I spent a great day there with my family today. They were courteous and informative and very good stewards of the animals in their care. My daughter was treated to one on one time with various creatures as well as the keepers and we were given a load of great information to take home. We walked with the 2 of main caretakers through half of the zoo and they told us stories about all the animals. How they got there. How they were raised or rehabilitated. About their natural habitats and behaviours. Etc etc. There was a true passion and sense of responsibility demonstrated by all the staff we interacted with. We were also told about the PR issues that they were having as we are from out of town and had no knowledge of this. We were informed about the steps the new management are taking to remedy the problems left by the previous owners. Their honesty and concern is the motivation behind this post. Thought for haters: Instead of going on a witch hunt and destroying this quaint and fun family experience why not get involved, volunteer or donate to make the place better for the people and animals involved? There is a legitimate argument that these animals should be left in their natural state and environment to live the life they're meant to but there are times that that is not possible. A lot of these animals are rescues. Most seem to be treated as pets. They appear to be loved and well taken care of. This place gives children a chance to appreciate wildlife in a close up, hands on way so that they in turn become better stewards of the environment and wildlife; which, in turn, will save far more animals then taking these ones and releasing them to the wild or a refuge. If you see snippits of video clips and read cutting headlines geared to sell papers and raise funds for biased organizations long enough its hard to see the good. Im generally cynical about these sorts of programs. Ive been around the world and seen lots that should be closed. I have a strong belief in wildlife conservation, reef and ocean regeneration and protection efforts of all kinds. Anyone who abuses animals in a deliberate way should not be left unnoticed. I have also worked on farms and with large animals and know full well if you wait and watch most farmers you will see things that look to be cruel or unusual that are in fact best practices based on knowledge of a particular type or personality of a given animal. Not that this excuses actual abuse. Also, not that this is what i assume happens at Papanack. These guys do not seem like bad folks at all and are running a good program. Walk through the park with an open mind and listen to the message they're trying to send. If you think theres something wrong help make it better instead of bombing it off the face of the earth. There are people out there that will benefit greatly from the work Papanack is doing. I know we all enjoyed ourselves and will be back when we are in the area.

George Couch

My wife and I enjoyed our visit. One thing I have noticed is that there are many recent 1-start reviews. How is this possible, considering they have only been open for 2 days since last year? (Their opening was delayed, due to covid-19 this year) These reviews are obviously fake and are not an honest assessment of Papanack Zoo.

Justin Court

Was here recently with the family! Highly recommended. Awesome education from the state on a variety of animals, friendly staff, good costs. We definitely will be going back thank you!

Sylvain Braun

Pretty impressive to see Lions, Tigers, Wolves, Kangourous and other animals in such a small town (Wendover) and its only 40 mins from Ottawa. Worth the trip.

I forget I forget

I drive by all the time. The a animals seem happy. Try their luck in the wild. Here the next meal is promised and your blessed to observe these magnificent beasts.

Allie Argue

Absolutely horrible. There was not 1 staff member walking around this entire time we were there. Not 1 animal has any water. It was over 30° they don’t have much shade. The cages are literally smaller than my bedroom. The cats are under weight and have zero personality. I am not a “peta, save the animal vegan type” but this was horrible. I own horses and would never leave them without water. Ridiculous

Denise Prue

We had a great time yesterday. The place was very clean and lots of space to explore. The animals appeared very well cared fir and the staff were super friendly.

Sylvie Langlois

(Translated) I went there 2 or 3 years ago but loved it. There were a lot of baby animals. Many felines. The only negative side is that the ground was bouetteux of the heavy rains of the preceding days. Many mosquitoes bring your mosquito repellent. To see again without fail (Original) J'y suis allée il y a 2 ou 3 ans mais j'ai adoré. Il y avait beaucoup de bébé animaux. Beaucoup de félins. Le seul côté négatif est que le terrain était bouetteux du aux forte pluies des jours précédents. Beaucoup de moustiques apporter votre chasse-moustique. À revoir sans faute

Saurabh Vaidya

Great place to visit. Lot of animals when it comes to calling it as a small zoo. Please don't expect for someone to be there to guide you thru the zoo. Be your own guide.

J B

You have to have the right expectations. This is a small family run business not a major zoo. That said, you can see bears, lions, monkeys, wolves... some pretty exciting animals. The site is quite modest and given its indoor/outdoor facilities in essentially a farmers field, cleanliness and luxury are not prioritized. The snack shack sort of smells for the same reason and due to presence of the bags of animal feed you can buy. Overall, it’s a neat place to see exotic animals but don’t go for the amenities.

Stoney Creek

Most animals had zero water in extreme heat warning days! 95 percent of the water troughs were completely empty. Animals were panting in the heat very clearly showing dehydration. Most animals had zero food and there cages were absolutely disgusting. Too small of pens for alot of the animals. WATER YOUR ANIMALS ! It's out of this world how this place is even open.

Tori Campbell

Wonderful experience. The zoo was pretty big and there were lots of benches on the paths to rest. My daughter loved the petting zoo part of the zoo. She loved playing and feeding the goats. We had a wonderful day. The zookeepers really go out of their way to make sure you have the best experience. We will be returning!

APBT CANADA

I went this summer and some of the staff were fine but I remember especially one lady who was taking care of the bear ( grizzly ) not to sure but anyway the point is she was screaming at my kids and me for no reason available , really rude . The entire place was disgusting . I really feel after the animal cruelty we saw on the news from that place it should be SHUT DOWN

Samantha Taylor

Very disheartening, will never return! Extremely small, unkept enclosures for the animals. My family visited the zoo on a very hot day, many of the animals had dry water bowls. These animals need to be rescued!!!

Laurie-Anne Cyr

(Translated) Disappointed with our experience, we had stayed there several years (2012-2013) with our older and it was cleaner, busier. At least the children had fun but we (my husband and I) were a little shocked and sad to see the place. Several wooden bridges and enclosures are in poor condition, the interior of the pens is full of weeds that are much too high. The horses seemed hungry, one seemed to have a mass or abscess on the right side of his jaw. A deer had ropes of a bale of hay taken in its woods. One of the llamas was unusually thin. One of the goats was able to get out in front of us from its enclosure (hole under the fence) and enter the other enclosure next door with another hole under the fence. The conditions in which animals live seem far from optimal. We have seen employees smoking near children on the site several times. Several pens were empty and dilapidated. The branches inside were not fresh, the leaves were dry. We wanted to encourage something more local and decided to go back instead of driving to Granby or Safari Park and we regretted it. The price is expensive for what it gives, it's a shame because it could really be a great attraction and in our memories, it was really good when we went there last time. (Original) Déçus de notre expérience, nous étions allés il y a plusieurs années (2012-2013) avec notre plus vieille et c'était plus propre, plus achalandé. Au moins, les enfants ont eu du plaisir mais nous (mon mari et moi) étions un peu en choc et tristes de constater l'était des lieux. Plusieurs ponts de bois et enclos sont en piètre état, l'intérieur des enclos est plein de mauvaises herbes qui sont beaucoup trop hautes. Les chevaux semblaient affamés, un semblait avoir une masse ou un abcès sur le côté droit de sa mâchoire. Un cerf avait des cordes d'une balle de foin prises dans ses bois. Un des lama était anormalement maigre. Une des chèvres a pu sortir devant nous de son enclos (trou sous la clotûre) et entrer dans l'autre enclos à côté par un autre trou sous la clotûre. Les conditions dans lesquelles vivent les animaux nous paraissent loin d'être optimales. Nous avons vu des employés fumer à proximité d'enfants sur le site à plusieurs reprises. Plusieurs enclos étaient vides et délabrés. Les branches à l'intérieur n'étaient pas fraîches, les feuilles étaient sèches. Nous voulions encourager quelque chose de plus local et avons décidé d'y retourner au lieu de faire la route pour se rendre à Granby ou au Parc Safari et nous avons regretté. Le prix est dispendieux pour ce que ça donne, c'est vraiment dommage car ça pourrait vraiment être une superbe attraction et dans nos souvenirs, c'était pourtant vraiment bien quand nous y étions allés la dernière fois.

Kim Vivian

We have wanted to visit this place for a while. We finally got a chance this past week and we were pleasantly surprised. It is a roadside attraction that has charm and appeal. The animals were engaging and visible except for a couple that were enjoying covered shaded areas from the summer sun. We couldn't get over the size of the property and how many animals they have to see. The bear show was a great highlight and very informative. We will be back again with a couple other families who want to visit as well. My only suggestion would be to have more information sheets for the animals so we can learn a bit more about what we were seeing. Other than that keep up the good work rescuing and caring for the animals.

Bryan Little

Horrible conditions for a zoo. Should be shut down

Yves Bernard

Not fancy but nice for the kids to run around

Rick Berthe

Ok for young kids, but not much more.

Kat Wood

Many trees are dead and the animals have no shade. Small enclosures, bored, pacing animals. Engage in questionable breeding. Rumours of animal cruelty now proven true with the release of an undercover video. Roadsides zoos are unregulated, bad for animals. SPCA is investigating this place.

Nataly Dominguez

Clean and staff is great most important animals look healthy and happy:))

Benoit N

(Translated) Very nice experience and the animals are not so pite as that (Original) Tres belle expérience et les animaux ne font pas si pite que ça

Bell Reyes

love this place ! animals look healthy and staff is great.the place is clean and the price is great:)

Zeinab Issa

Loved it and the kids really enjoyed seeing the animals!! Definetely recommend it!

Donavon Dachtler

Reports of cruelty are unforgivable. There is a video is proof of these acts. There is no second chance for people who have the responsibility of caring for animals. They NEED to be relocated to a reputable sanctuary and Ontario NEEDS regulations.

David Jackson

For the price it a really worth it we had fun

Laurie Richard

Never answers the phone,web says open at 10 am but still not answering????

CK T

This is a family farm with somewhat wild animals. I am rating this business with that expectation. Don't go there expecting a world class zoo with admission fees that are easily quadruple of what you pay here. Having said that, some of the cooler wild animals are the lions, brown bears, cheetah, kangaroo. The handlers seem to care about the animals which is a plus. The highlight of the day is getting to hold a 3 month old lion cub for an extra fee.

Rachel Moreau

I love papanack zoo...but I was disappointed I know they are doing renovations but the place looks rundown and not taken care of

jaydeeb91

Poor animal conditions, poor guest experience just a horrible place to be, upside animals seem well fed but the zoo looks horrible and the animals environment is lacking natural habitat, maybe we should put whoever’s in charge in a fenced area with garbage and have us watch them. Paid extra to have fun with the cubs which was 1 min because the cub was anxious, should had given me my money back. Don’t go don’t encourage animal cruelty.

Karine Hebert

Loved this zoo! Staff is nice, we went on a rainy day and still loved our visit. SO Worth it!

Danielle Alary

They have young wolf cubs that were showing signs of stress going back and forth to their empty container of water. The owner said there was another container behind. When I left I was able to see rhey there were none

Avijit Choudhury

The other day, me and my wife went to visit he Papanak zoo, The animal were kept and given a real wild life environment The staff were very professional and friendly. It's worth going there. The only thing what I would say based on my observation is that, some of the animals had only 1 fence and IF somehow any of the animals manage to escape from there that would be the worst thing as it did happen when 1 Kangaroo and something else escaped recently! So, I would highly suggest the zoo management to create and erect a 2nd fence so that IF those animals escape from there, still they could be protected by the help of the 2nd fence. Please look at into this, that's my humble request. I would also suggest and request all Ottawa area parents to bring your kids there so that they know and enjoy the true wilderness within the city of Ottawa and support them. Cheers

Carol & Matt Shea

Great place!! Will go back again.

Rita Geeves

Small ,ideal for small children. Staff excellent very good experience

Valerie Montplaisir

Clearly not enough money to maintain the place.

maxime211

(Translated) Proximity to animals, friendly staff (Original) Proximité des animaux,personnels aimables

Amélie Lacroix

(Translated) Beautiful zoo (Original) Beau zoo

Vladislav Fomitchev

Fun times, lots of animals, some can be fed too.

Neil Clark

Great time with my wife and 2 year old. Lots to see and a good way to spend a few hours. Friendly staff. The bear show was cool and informative.

Pooja

DO NOT VISIT - I drove by yesterday and I was SHOCKED to see a black bear and a brown grizzly-type bear locked up in a 10 meter wide enclosure. Have they been locked up there all winter long? because the zoo is closed down for the winter. I cannot believe such animal cruelty is still allowed? Please do not support this cruelty by visiting.

Phillip Campbell

A wonderful zoo. Beautiful animals. Worth the money and drive

Sarah Reynolds

I would give this place zero stars if i could. Animal cruelty at it's best. This place is disgusting and heartbreaking.

nx hh

i visited the zoo a few weeks back. the employees were incredibly respectful and friendly, and made my visit memorable, however i’m rating it 3 stars for numerous reasons. the animals seemed bored and perhaps saddened, it really hurt me to see those animals so desperate for freedom. we came to enjoy ourselves and see exotic animals we don’t usually come across, yet i left feeling upset for them. the cages were very very tight and small for the animals. there were 3 lion cubs in an approximately 10x15ft cage. the adult lions were also in an area that’s too small for them. the lemurs were hiding in the corner of their cage frightened and out of place. almost every animal didn’t seem mentally well, and i found this as a problem. needless to say, the petting zoo wasn’t as concerning as the others. the goats and alpacas looked content but hungry. i doubt that they’re regularly fed, and that visitors must purchase their food and feed them. one thing that i noticed often was the poor tidiness of the animals cages. it was disgusting. the water was always dirty, there was feces everywhere, and it reeked. i strongly suppose that papanack zoo should be closed down, and the animals should be taken to a better facility where they could be taken care of. reading through the reviews, many people rated 1 star and were saying that animals are being tortured abused etc. but that’s not the case. this is a private company that’s not being funded by the government. they don’t have enough funds to properly take care of these animals which is why i believe it should be closed down. summarizing, the employees were very thoughtful and i’ve never felt such hospitality. their animals are just in an unsafe environment, and should be transferred somewhere else, where they can be given love and proper care.

uzumakiuchiha

Awesome time. For a small donation I was able to pet and hold lion Cubs. Free hand sanitizer available for guests as well. Worth the trip even during these trying times

Q

I was there today and my son really enjoyed it it’s so worried that this place has a lot of negative reviews that make me scared of going but we really enjoyed it even with the rain.

Jishnue Boyapati

Very cruel to animals. I nearly cried watching them hitting the animals. That's why I only visit sanctuaries.

john macleod

Good place to bring children.

Jackie Page

Animals look so depressed here!

Maria Langlois

We are certainly not vegetarian nor are we anti zoo. We have been to zoos throughout North America and enjoy them tremendously. I have posted a photo of the lock on the lion enclosure. I can assure you 100% that this was the only lock used, and this is the entrance for the lion enclosure. In what world do these people live in where they believe this is a safe practice to house a lion?? They had to shoot one of their lions for escaping before and now we can see why. Also these animals are the smallest, skinniest (you can see the outline of their bones), most sickly group of animals I have seen in any zoo, circus, pet store etc by far. They looked like they all belonged in an spca commercial to help raise funds to rescue them. Save your money, time and disappointment.

Christian Rose

(Translated) Correct without more. It seems to me that some animals were in cages that were much too small for them. (Original) Correct sans plus. Il me semble que certains animaux étaient dans dans cages beaucoup trop petite pour eux.

Shaurya Jindal

Nice one

David Davidson

Go for a visit. Great place for kids.

Veronica Racine

Terrible trip to the zoo. Reason 1. There was terrible mud and flooding at some points it was ankle deep mud with no way of getting around the mud and flooding. The zoo wasn't doing anything to help it either like creating gravel paths or putting down sand to help with the flooding and mud everywhere. It was so bad that we were slipping and sliding everywhere. Also pretty much ruined our shoes since it was so bad. Reason 2. The animals looked unhappy. Their cages were way to small for them, no room for them to run around and enjoy life. As well most of the cages were filled with over grown grass and weeds. The animal cages were also filled with mud and flooding. An example being when we were at the tiger enclosure, the tiger were surrounded by mud. They looked extremely uncomfortable and were walking around trying to shake the mud off of themselves the whole time we were watching them. Reason 3. There was a group of about 8 goats loose in the zoo. We had turned a corner and they were just standing there and ran towards us. They were jumping all over us. With their paws covered in mud so it got all over our clothes. We had a bucket of food that they noticed and we weren't opening the bucket to feed them because they were already aggressive enough. And when we didn't feed them they started bucking us and when we tried leaving the area they ran after us and were pushing us. Worst of all when we informed a staff member they brushed it off like it was nothing. My only concern was what if we had a little child with us. Those goats weren't child friendly and could really hurt someone. For 50$ I feel like I shouldn't end up covered in mud, getting attacked by goats while looking at sad animals in small cages, and leaving with ruined shoes.

S Belmadani

There is enough evidence (including the recent video) that shows the unacceptable conditions and horrible treatment for the animals. The escape (that led to the killing) of the lion last year is surely because of such negligence. I hope Ontario will put better laws in place and that owners will develop an ethical judgement. To the co-owner, Kerri Bayford, do the right thing; close this place down and send the animals to a sanctuary where they will have a better life. #Shame

Kevin Bouffard

absolutely deplorable. the owners and staff should be in those cages, not the animals.

chris usami

There should never be any interaction with wildlife this place needs to be shutdown

Marilyn Lacroix

Did not like it at all. While customer service was good, I felt the animals were not well taken care of. We went on a very hot and humid day. No shade for most animals, and most importantly, no water. This is totally unacceptable. Needless to say, I will not be going again, and I will not allow my kids to go either.

lucile roy

(Translated) The enclosures should be better cleaned so that we can see better. (Original) Les enclos devrait etre mieu nettoyer qu'on puissent voir mieu..

Katherine Hayes

Wow... how sad. I love zoos and this one had such poor animal habitats... some animals are so skinny and have no room to roam around... this was a very sad experience for me and my family...

Ruth

I'very been going to this wonderfull little zoo (which is like a large farm) sins my boys where young ..now I talk my grandaughter. The animals have plenty of room ..in little barns on seperation files ..I can spend a day ..I bring a lunch and walk slowly so I won' t miss all the exotic animals ...I remember how excited I was when the white baby lions where born ..one misshapen should not ruin this beautifull place ..they have won many breeding a words etc. Beattie out the Toronto zoo ..enjoy..if you want to here more find me on facebook

Emily SLow

Wish I could give 0 Stars. Extremely poor treatment of the animals.

Robert sun

It’s a wonderful place to bring family to have fun. My son loves feeding the goats, monkeys and other animals. I personally feel it’s better than Toronto Zoo at lease I saw a tiger wander around in his cage and the viewing distance is closer. Hope it get better and better. We had hesitance in the beginning because some negative reviews but once being there, it’s totally worthwhile. Crew are very friendly.

Lukas Hill

This place is a zoo.

Katia L-L

(Translated) Why does this kind of place still exist despite all the comments and videos that demonstrate animal abuse?!? (Original) Pourquoi ce genre d’endroit existe encore malgré tous les commentaires et les vidéos qui démontre la maltraitance des animaux?!?

Alicia Duffley

I'D GIVE NO STARS IF I COULD. This is the worst business. I've lived in the area for fourteen years, and I've heard COUNTLESS terrible facts about them in the news regarding their treatment of animals. SHUT IT DOWN.

Emily

For people who still think they should visit this zoo- there is a reason they have been investigated numerous times. No reputable zoo would allow visitors to interact with young wolves and leopards who had been separated from their mothers...this place can’t even keep livestock properly!

Jan Hamid

Very rude management. There is no value for the money. Zoo needs a lot of maintainace. All the animals are either very old or just babies. Not recommended at all. You can go to many other good places in this price range.

benjamin richarles

(Translated) Beautiful (Original) Très beau

ama nda

even 1 star is generous. the animals were cramped up in tiny cages, they seemed frightened, most didn't even have food/water bowls were empty. they just overall seemed miserable.

Katie Mousley

Poor animals are mistreated and completely uncared for. Do not visit and support this awful place

Kim Chillcott

We were at the Papanak Zoo before the new owners. Horrible The new owners are absolutely amazing. The are clean courtious. And any questions are answered promptly and thoroughly. Thank you for the experience

Mike Mike

(Translated) This place should close their doors .. The animals are in small cages, there is no organization, the world smokes on the ground. I have today spend $ 40 for me and my girlfriend and I hope the money they charge is going to be to improve the zoo because there is EXTREMELY need for animal welfare renovations. (Original) Cette place devrais fermer leurs portes.. Les animaux sont dans de petites cages, il n’y a aucune organisation, le monde fume sur le terrain. J’ai aujourd’hui dépenser 40$ pour moi et ma copine et j'espère que l’argent qu’ils chargent va être pour améliorer le zoo parce qu’il y a EXTRÊMEMENT besoin de rénovations pour le bien-être des animaux.

Shayna Baxter

I have say that I haven’t been inside but driving by on a very cold February day, I saw the saddest looking brown bear behind fences in a sort of fence maze. Now, I could be wrong but naturally is this not hibernation time for them? There were no trees, nothing natural besides about 2.5 ft of snow for the bear to be surrounded by. Personally I don’t feel this is the right place to host an exotic animal zoo. It made my heart hurt for that bear. I looked up reviews and videos and my heart is further broken. In my opinion, please regime these animals and call it a day. We live nearby and would not ever consider bringing our two young children here.

Thasleema Fathima

Very good experience

Derek Lee

Never have I experienced a "zoo", which was deeply uncomfortable to watch, as the animals. Are grossly overcrowded, the African lion pen at least one of them are way too small to house 2 full size African lions. There is a lack of shaded area for some of the animals, namely the Kodiak bear. The water source in the Flamingo den, is stale and dirty. The fences are poorly maintained, the pathways in throughout the zoo seem to be planned by someone who was under the influence of some sort of substance and probably failed geography The Staff was ridiculously non existent except for the one in charge of collecting the money. With all the exisiting visible problems, it looks like expansions are well underway Really think they should concentrate on their core operation and animal care issues before they look to exploit the animals for profit further.

Émilie Madran

(Translated) Nice place to go visit with the kids. Site not too big so we can go around easily with our little ones, a lot more animals than I expected. Well maintained place, the staff are very welcoming. I enjoyed seeing the Kangaroos! ???? (Original) Joli endroit à aller visiter avec les enfants. Site pas trop grand donc on peut faire le tour facilement avec nos petits, beaucoup plus d'animaux à se que je m'attendais. Endroit bien entretenu, le staff est très accueillent. J'ai bien aimé voir les Kangourous! ????

Tyson Lavoie

We are very proud to announce that Papanak Park Zoo Inc has recently been purchased by NEW OWNERS in 2014. Our goal is to provide animals with a comfortable, caring and safe living environment, while allowing the public an exciting, educational and fun place to visit! We invite you to come out and spend a wonderful day with us at the park as it is currently undergoing a mini re-birth. Existing enclosures are being torn down and rebuilt, allowing for more space, comfort and enrichment for the animals. The enclosures and habitats’ which are to remain intact will undergo a face lift and have enrichment added to their living space.

Melissa Harper

I feel bad for the animals. I don't know anything about proper caging. But they just look so unhappy. I can't bring myself to go again.

Celeste Black

Needs to be shut down immediately!!! What kind of world do we live in where after seeing documented abuse at this zoo and they’re still up and running? If you support this place in any kind there’s a special place in hell for all of you

John VanderZwet

This place has been massively improved. It's a great small zoo. Don't let the bad reviews scare you off. Some enclosures are small but they're doing their best to expand them. They need visitors to afford improvements. Quite a big diverse variety of animals and the staff really care.

hope wood

I was visiting the zoo today, I found the place was well kept and the staff was absolutely wonderful! All the staff was polite and handled a discontent customer with the highest level of professionalism. Unfortunately you can't win them all. The trainers were amazing with the animals and were able to answer questions and get involved with the audience. We got to learn alot of new and exciting information from the staff. What a great place to spend the day with the family, I would definitely recommend this for an outing, we arrived shortly after 10am, and left around 4pm. Lots to see and learn.

Joseph,Roger Heroux (J.R)

Great family day.

Jeff Mohyla

Was a good time; bring rubber boots!

Sea Kay

It was disappointing to see the rough shape these animals were in. Honestly. I was here a few years ago and it was very different. Seeing big bears being fed little snacks and hearing they lost over a 100 pounds is crazy wasnt very impressed. Not too many animals too. :(

Jessica Blais

(Translated) Nice experience for the little one, yeah. Rock trail maybe a little too big. Trails in the grass my daughters know how pity his sting. The lynxes and lions are so pitiful in their dog crates with almost no shade. Surprisingly, a zoo inspector didn't shut it down! Very hard on the heart and really surprised to see it like this for everyone to see. Wow (Original) Belle expérience pour la petite ouais . Sentier de roches peut-être un peu trop grosse. Des trails dans le gazon ma filles sais plains sa piquait. Les lynx’s et lions fonts tellement Pitiés dans leurs cage à chien presque pas d’ombre. Surprenant un inspecteur de zoo a pas fermé ça ! Très dur sur le cœur et vraiment surprise de voir ça ainsi aux yeux de tous . Wow

Sylvia Wood

Very interesting and great variety of animals We were warned that ground was very wet and it really was

Carrie Dellow

We had a great time at the Zoo!! We stayed over night in the new bunkies. Was very clean cute and cozy. We had a campfire and could hear the wolves and all the different animals at night. Definitely reccomend it, staff are very nice! Kids loved it will definitely be back..

Ashleigh Kasaboski

5 stars for visibility and nothing more. To all those happy customers insisting upon defending this deplorable business I implore you to look in your hearts and ask yourself if you honestly believe that the animals at the Papanack Zoo are living a decent life. Just because the Zoo claims to rescue these animals does not make it right to confine them in small and inhumane cages. There is no semblance of their natural habitat and the only stimulation these intelligent creatures are afforded is the odd oversized chair to sit on. The lethargy and loneliness of these animals is palpable. If the people running this Zoo (and others within the Province that do the same) think that they are doing the animals justice by having them here they need a serious wake up call. This place speaks to the ignorance and inherent cruelty of people towards animals, even when they think they are doing the right thing. I don't think that these animals should necessarily be released to the wild, but they should have been sent to a conservation reserve instead of being pimped out for profit at the expense of their quality of life. Shame on the Papanack Zoo and all others that share their business practice. I pray that these animals get the justice they deserve. And for that matter shame on the government of Ontario and Canada for allowing such practises to go unchecked. The regulations for animal treatment are obviously in need of a huge overhaul. I have reported your animal cruelty and will continue to do so. You have brought shame to these animals and to yourselves.

Sheree McGarrity

I must admit that I vehemently supported the closing of this zoo until visiting last fall with my family. It is small. The enclosures are not huge. What I did see however is that when the owners entered the cages to feed, water or interact with the animals, it was an extremely positive encounter. There was absolutely no fear on the part of the animals. In fact, when the owner took in meat for the "big cats", they chose to play with the zookeeper and get rubbed/pet before eating their lunch. Not a sign of abuse anywhere. These owners cannot afford to improve the facility without visitors... And visitors will not come because they do not like the conditions of the zoo.

Jean-Claude MAINVILLE

The most beautiful PARK with a large display of ANIMALS good food & surroundings to visit !!! Congratulations PAPANACK ZOO PARK ????????????????

Cristina Ferrando

Went years and years ago and things have not changed got worse and the government not doing anything grrrrr ????????

Benjamin Johnstone

PLz no

Andrée-Michelle Larocque

(Translated) There is a linx close to the bear. He seems abandoned :( for the rest his not so bad but the wild dog when coming close to the rabbit HE should be something bigger than his ridiculous Even pink flamingo his too small too.The baby kangerou had the This place needs extra donations and help to improve the quality of life for certain animals. So more than we go there, we help them. (Original) Il y a un linx proche de l'ours. Celui la semble abandonné :( pour le reste ses pas si pire mais le chien sauvage en entrant proche des lapin LUI devrais etre ds quelque chose de plus gros ses ridicule. Meme les flamingo rose ses bien trop petit aussi. Le bebe kangerou avait l'air de tres mauvaise état. Cette endroit a besoin de don et d'aide supplémentaire pour amélioré la qualité de vie a certain animaux. Alors plus qu'on y vas plus qu'on les aides.

Earthlings video

They had to kill a lion due to greed and human error

Don Alguire

We spent all afternoon at the zoo, and my grandchildren who are 12 and 9 years old and I completely enjoyed every minute! There is such a terrific number of animals to watch...tigers, lions, bears, timber wolves, coyotes, foxes, camels, and the list goes on! We could share in the experience of learning what the animals eat as well as ask questions which were answered with sincerity and knowledge only those who care for the animals would know . I would definitely recommend families of all ages should experience this fabulous zoo.

Myrna McGregor

Very enjoyable!Nice and clean.A good day out for the family.

N Giroux

(Translated) I was not able to finish doing the rounds, the little lynxes were going back and forth facing the wall, a flagrant sign of anxiety in their tiny enclosures, these animals need spaces what sadness as do the lionesses , bears, birds of prey. A emaciated fox in an enclosure that gave off a foul odor it stung in the throat, phew. I do not understand that there is no inspector who does not make sure of the good contracting of all these magnificent animals. It is little that the budget is restricted but a 10x15 enclosure for lions and co is in my opinion unacceptable the owl cage with 4 feet of weed inside it is cut. In short, the animals are magnificent but the good care leaves me perplexed. Please enlarge the enclosures for their data a semblance of freedom because what I could see, these animals do not look happy and treat well (Original) Je n'es pas été capable de finir de faire le tours , les petit lynx fesait des va et viens face au mur , signe d'anxiété flagrant dans leurs minuscule enclos, ces animaux ont besoin d'espaces quel tristesse de même que les lionnes , les ours , les oiseaux de proie . Un renard amaigris dans enclos qui dégageait un odeur nauséabonde ça pognait a la gorge, ouff . Je ne comprend pas qu'il n'y est pas d'inspecteur qui ne s'assure pas de la bien traitance de tout ces magnifiques bêtes . Ça se peu que les budget son restreint mais un enclos de 10x15 pour des lion et cie c'est selon moi inacceptable les cage a hibou avec 4 pied de mauvais herbe a l interieur ça se coupe . Bref les animaux sont magnifique mais les bons soins me laisse perplexe . Svp, agrandissent les enclos pour leurs données un semblant de liberté car ce que j'ai pu en voir , ces animaux non pas l'air heureux et bien traiter

Jane Peddle

Very run down. Should be closed. Better treatment and much bigger living spaces required for animals.

Jennifer Botelho

This place needs to be shut down, the quality of care for these animals is disgusting. The cages are pitiful and the owners clearly only care about making a buck.

Susan Bisson

Went to papanack Zoo Saturday July 31.We had the best time ever.The animal's were great,and the bear show was so cute and funny, amazing animals.The grounds were clean and staff amazing.We stayed over night in the bunkies they have there that were #1 The beds were beutiful made, had air conditioning plus a little electric fireplace.There was a fridge, microwave, toaster, coffee machine, and outside there was a fire pit and a barbecue, the washroom was so clean and big plus an outside shower. We will be going back it was just beautiful. At night the lions were beside us and we could hear them howling such a nice experience. We can't thank kerri the owner enough for her hospitality.

Rosa Bella

HOW IS THIS TORTURE FOR ANIMALS PLACE STILL OPEN??? THIS “ZOO” Should be shut down and the people working and the owner abusing these animals should be put in jail!!!! The videos of the staff abusing the animals should be enough for animal loves to boycott this “zoo”. PLEASE do not support this place! Shut it down and let the animals go to a real sanctuary!!!!

Ian

Had a great time. They let you feed some of the animals, toilets were clean, can bring in outside food, animals looked happy and healthy.

Vicki Bencze

I enjoyed the visit. Lots of space to move around. Some of the cats had higher brush in their enclosures to hide in. Able to chat with the keeper while he fed the 1 month old cubs. Very knowledgeable and friendly.

Yves B

(Translated) This park has no accreditation ... (Original) Ce parc possède aucune accréditation...

Rémy Lanau

(Translated) Good little zoo To visit family nice little moment. (Original) Bon petit zoo A visiter en famille petit moment agréable.

C. Fortin

(Translated) Don't believe all negative reviews, most animals appear to be fine and healthy. In any case, no animal is made to be in a cage. I enjoyed my day at the Papanack zoo. (Original) Il ne faut pas croire tous les avis négatif, la plupart des animaux semblent bien et en santé. De toute facon aucun animal n'est fait pour être en cage. J'ai aimé ma journée au Papanack zoo.

Dispensary Review

How is this place not shut down? How are people still going to this place after the documented abuse? Sick people. Find something else to do like, I dunno, for a walk and observe FREE animals in their habitat.

Adam Jackson

Sucks

AMY D'ANGELO

Me and my family went to the zoo yesterday the animals environment is very old they don't cut the grass they don't feed them well and they are not active, all the animals lay down and have no life to them they walk very slow almost like they are dizzy or drugged, half of the animals there were not even in the cages and there were only farm animals to see, the lions and tigers we also couldn't see, the animals look very neglected there, and also when we visited one animal escaped due to the cages being so old and rotted, very very very disappointed should have got my money back

Jonathan Bourbonnais

i loved my visit to the zoo my daughter really liked it too they came a long way since the new owners took over i was very impressed how the zoo keepers were great with the animals cant say nothing about this zoo keep up the good work :) only thing i dint like is the protestors in front trying to bring down the zoo have any of you been inside and look at all the work they put in ? there no mistreading of aninals in that zoo and it was an amazing experiance

Andrew Jackson

Horrible place, animals given nothing but a small enclosure to roam around in, animals are clearly unhappy and mistreated. This place should have been shut down a long time ago. I HATE my daily commute due to the atrocities I have to witness driving by this place. 0/5 stars.

neal sherry

Excellent place for the kids.up close and personal

Max Power

I feel for the animals that live in such a meager environment. At this point, wild animals in enclosures is no longer entertaining and the Papanac Zoo is a fine example of why.

Elizabeth Robinson

One of the best places to go to learn about animals. Knowledgeable friendly staff make it an awesome experience!

Ryan Went

Went there with my dad a day nephew had a awesome time will be back soon !

Kimberly-jade Ross Marion

(Translated) Poor animals the 4 lions together are less fed than the tigers which are only 2 the bears in the enclosures not those which are to be trained, the others have a very small basin of water c horrible the poor animals at the entrance are poorly point and the cub is not with others which is bad for his education he will become wild and will have difficulty integrating into the group (Original) Pauvres animaux les 4 lions ensembles sont moins nourris que les tigres qui ne sont que 2 les ours dans les enclos pas ceux qui sont dresser, les autres ont un très petit bassin d'eau c horrible les pauvres animaux à l'entrée sont mal en point et le louveteau n'est pas avec les autres ce qui est mauvais pour son éducation il deviendra sauvage et aura du mal à s'intégrer au groupe

OADL Cal

How can anyone think the animals look like they are well cared for? The monkeys are in this pathetic small cage, the bears are in these fields and they have to live in trailers and shipping containers! It's just a dump, and a jail for animals.

Conrad Hopp

Animals here are kept under cruel conditions.

Amanda Alexander

A very clean and lovely place. Much larger than I had expected.

Jessica Gray

Saw video of animal cruelty at this place on YouTube i will never go back There.

Carl Capes

Beautiful Healthy Animals shana Powell an I loved it

Deniz Paktunc

Shame on you for killing a innocent lion just shows you your not capable of providing a safe and humane environment for your wildlife. Your exploiting animals in a cheap inhumane way to make a buck. Close down this so called zoo and donate the animals to a zoo that can provide a decent habitat. And dont forget what goes around comes around

B.T Pham

Small intimate zoo with lots of variety and lots of opportunity to see the animals up-close, Siberian tiger, bears, kangaroo, lions etc....Also, knowledgable and friendly staff.

Aarin Guevremont

Wonderful experience !!!! My two sons love coming here. It was so amazing to see all the lions and tigers !!!

Guy Lachance

People are great lots of animals really nice if your looking for a not too expensive date night but like to walk and enjoy different wildlife from all over the world its a great place to.go

michshepherd

Sad animals in pathetic little enclosures. Animals who have no business in North America. This does not educate us except to show how poorly we treat animals.

Hung Lian

i would give this a 0 star if there was one, i went last year and the animals look so sick and scared. They need ppl who can actually care and love them was their own, they need to STOP ABUSING THEM... #SAVEpapanackparkANIMALS

Danyar bertaw

The cages are very small and not clean , a lot of animalls don't look like happy, these animals deserve better care

Cristian Neamtu

Nice people. Better than I expected

Sixty Below

First of all I want to give five stars for the staff. They are very nice people and they do the best they can. However I think that management needs to take into consideration the condition that these animals are living in. Basically it's pretty easy. Take out the old wood and put in new wood. Nothing too hard about that. But this has been put off for a long time to the point that much of the park has deteriorated. And thanks to covid-19, things are even worse. The staff is doing the best they can but this place needs contributions and could use a government grant. But leave it to our prime minister to turn his back on our own people

Dennis Mackell

First time there and was surprised at how many animals that were there. Had a good time.

Dr Benoit Lacroix

(Translated) This place is a shame !!! I visited this zoo with my family and was extremely disappointed and angry. The place is very poorly maintained and the infrastructure is falling apart. In short, this "Zoo" in the abandoned area. The snack was closed so we could not have dinner. Use them not smiling and not sympathetic. The animals are abused and neglected. Their pens are too small and messy. THIS PLACE SHOULD BE CLOSED (Original) Cet endroit est une honte !!! J'ai été visiter ce zoo avec ma famille et j'ai été extrêmement déçu et fâché. L'endroit est très mal entretenu et les infrastructures tombent en ruine. Bref, ce "Zoo" à l'aire abandonné. Le casse-croute était fermé donc nous n’avons pas pu diner. Les employer non souriant et non sympathique. Les animaux sont maltraités et négligés. Leurs enclos sont trop petits et malpropres. CET ENDROIT DEVRAIT ÊTRE FERMÉ

Aleksander Ross

This place needs to be shutdown, just a bunch of animal abusers...

Merle Scott

How can people working with animals be SO CRUEL!!!! This place needs to be shut down for good and the people concerned need to face Justice. Never visit this place!!!!! Had to give them a star just to be able to post!!! Disgusting place.

Ronni for devour

very fun and nice cool animals

thomas whitlock

Well run. Happy animals. Recommended

Marsha Clark

This is a quaint, old fashioned zoo. It isn’t fancy or interactive, but if you want to spend a few hours seeing a nice diverse assortment of animals up close then you will enjoy your time. And Betty The Brown Bear was adorable!

Josie Laf

You guys suck! So much animal abuse going on in this hell hole for animals. Let them be free!

Vanessa D.

I enjoyed my first visit at this zoo in 2015. We attended to the meals of many animals and we learned a lot about them. I regret that the zoo 's reputation is tarnished by a human error that was made. Personally I will not let this unfortunate event change my opinion of the zoo and I will return for sure. ***UPDATE***: I went back this year (2016) and it's not the same zoo. The lions are now in a very small enclosure, some animals didn't have fresh water and rotten food was left in the enclosures. The sheep enclosure was broken and one sheep was out of it in the public section. We told the staff and they didn't seem to care. They just told us that they keep repairing it and the sheep are always able to break it again. Also the baby cougar was used to be petted by the public and was wearing a cat collar...I spent the hour it took to go back home in shock, thinking of how the animals looked sad. I will never go back again.

Emanuel Mercier

What a sad sad place, giving your money to this place perpetuates the problem. Shut this place down.

Lewis Gustav

time to close your zoo. over the years you guys are getting much worse. please send your animals to a reputable sanctuary. the animals deserve better. please do the right thing.

Lana Stupar

Holy wow. These animals are understimulated and not cared for adequately. How in the world is this legal? What a sad sight to see. And these positive reviews are just shocking- people don't understand that these animals are stressed and depressed.

Lana Stupar

Holy wow. These animals are understimulated and not cared for adequately. How in the world is this legal? What a sad sight to see. And these positive reviews are just shocking- people don't understand that these animals are stressed and depressed.

Melissa G

Please shut this place down

Jessica Lawson

Pretty heartbreaking scene. Unconscionable places like this still exist. Those poor animals. Please boycott.

Stephanie Beattie

The place was disgusting ! Swarm of flies in the paying kiosk, felt sorry for the animals, I saw more rats than animals- it's scary in day time the quantity of rats we saw, I can't even imagine at night. They should shut down the zoo ! Unsafe for animals, employees, and visiting customers.

Lee-Anne Paul

Had a wonderful day at the zoo !!! Animals are in perfect shape ! Place is clean staff is nice and food was good and not expensive !!! Sad that bad mouth are trying to ruin the reputation of the place !!!!!!!!

NHC 247

It is run down way overpriced and the animals need way more attention we want an we saw more then 1 animal without water and it was a very hot day poor animals

Steph Steph

I was planning on going to this zoo with my daughter for an activitie and I refuse to support the owner that owns this zoo these animals look terrible barely fed during the day and not enough water on hot summer days. Honestly people stop supporting this owner go to a better zoo that you can actually see happy animals.

Marlon Dupee

Conditions: All the wild animals in enclosures were listless, bored, and looked skinny and mangey. All of the enclosed animals were either lying down in a corner or constantly pacing back and forth. Some enclosures had green/brown dirty water and foul rotten smells. It was 30 degrees that day, and we noticed most enclosures were in open fields. Cold habitat animals (Alaskan bear, Arctic fox, etc.) along with several tropical species that require shade and moisture (such as the lemurs, Monkeys, parrots and tropical birds, and Siberian Tigers, etc.) were a concern here. We did not understand why our local species such as raccoons, foxes, owls and other birds were confined to small enclosures when they’re natural habitat is already our back yard. Safety concerns: The fencing beside one of the lion enclosures was wobbly and most of the enclosures had rotten boards and rusty nails sticking out. This made me very nervous as I have a two year old that wants to see everything in the park. When he would lean up against some of the fences the whole fence would sway back and forth. Most of the enclosures had what looked like old kids toys or broken jungle gyms, old tires etc. They were filled with plastic and human junk rather than trees or natural type structures. As you walked in, there was a wolf (outside) and other small animals (inside) that were in small cages with signs on the front that read “photo opportunity”. We asked the owner (I believe it was the owner, not 100% sure), why they did that. We were told it was for “educational purposes”, however, there is a clear sign right on the cage that says “photo opportunity” - simply to take a close up photo of the animal. The cage inside was extremely filthy, with flies engulfing piles of excrement and the rotting food dish. This is right when you walk in, so this is one of the first we saw. So before I left, I made a comment “his cage is kind of dirty, no?”. The comment was shrugged off and I was told that the cages were cleaned earlier, as if it didn’t matter. We came around opening. We inquired about what they did with the animals in the winter, and were given an unclear answer. We asked if they had a list of all the species for the clients to look at; no answer. After only 2 questions that any visitor would ask, I was rudely asked if I was an animal rights activist. I responded “No, I am a paying customer. I am curious”. Unfortunately, there was no clear answer to most of our questions. There was an inspector there that day - we chatted. The inspector admitted the conditions were not good, but there are still unfortunately NO LAWS in Ontario preventing zoo keeping. SO THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN. Please share and raise awareness. Never support animal cruelty and bad conditions of captivity. Conservation/rehabilitation should be the sole purposes of wildlife captivity. There is a sign in front when you enter the zoo that says “conservation and preservation is our goal”.....Our goal was to see if that was true. For the first time, a child should not see a once majestic wild animal in confinement in such a clearly depressed state. It was not educational, and when we did have questions the employees were seemingly not around. The only employee (or owner) we saw was when we paid and left. Zoos like Papanack profit off of people so they can see a lion or tiger, and allow the animals to suffer in poor conditions for that profit to the owners. I don’t need to tell you that that is immoral and unethical. Positives: they had several FARM animals; cows, miniature horses, goats (some could roam freely), alpacas, a donkey (in normally large farm like enclosures), and several ducks and chickens (which were able to roam freely), which was nice. These animals were able to interact with one another and the humans (petting/feeding treats), and were more energetic than any of the animals in enclosures because they were in appropriate living conditions/climate for their species. The goats were extremely friendly and ate right out of your hand - would make a fine petting zoo.

Mya Brunette

I would give this place 0 stars if that was an option. The cages these animals are put in are way way too small. The cages for the lions are no bigger than an average sized bedroom. It was very dirty, the food that was given to them was mouldy(seen it with my own eyes). Clearly they don’t care of these animals like they should, the cage they are put in are falling apart and the lions if they wanted to can easily jump the fence if they’re standing on their “playground”. These animals just sit in their cage with no shade provided to them at all. They 100% do not look happy in that zoo, they are clearly depressed.

France Michauville

(Translated) Very poorly maintained, lots of weeds very high in the enclosures, so have very bad track animals. Bcp empty pen, no animals. Many animals had no water despite the heat. No garbage on site except forward. So people I do the things under pic nic tables or near children's games. The animals did not look good. First time and last time I go there. Very disappointed (Original) Très mal entretenu, bcp de mauvaise herbe très haute ds les enclos, donc ont voie très mal les animaux. Bcp d'enclos vide, pas d'animaux. Bcp d'animaux avait pas d'eau malgré la chaleur. Aucune poubelle sur le site sauf en avant. Donc les gens je te les chose sous les table de pic nic ou près des jeux pour enfants. Les animaux avait pas l'air bien. Première fois et dernière fois que j'y vais. Très déçu